Years From Now
by PJCOLE
Summary: Tomorrow Alfred is scheduled to take off on his three year tour of the Milky Way. Arthur and Alfred have planned to break up before he sets off, but neither want to say goodbye. (This is a future AU for the anthology project on the USUK livejournal )


A/N: So, yeah I am back from the dead. I haven't been completely inactive. Most of my work has been a collaborative with americalover94, but still I feel bad for not posting anything on year in like nearly a year I swear. I have a few fics in the works, for some fandoms I recently joined and some hetalia stuff too. Anyways this is form the USUK Anthrology Project. There is a pic that goes with it if you want to check out the project and find it.

A light breeze blew about the field, giving a nice chill to the late summer night. It was far enough away from Main Street to let the stars dominate the skyline, lighting the dry grass with only the aid of a half moon. Somewhere off in the distance the familiar sounds of construction and car alarms played the soundtrack of the night. Years ago there might have been crickets chirping, but those days had past.

It could have been peaceful, could have been beautiful. If it were any other day, the boys laying and staring up to the stars would have smiled contently at each other and laid in silence until neither could stay awake and would venture back into town together. Tonight, however, neither could bring their eyes off the sky. Both stared into the constellations asking who ever might be listening to let the night last forever.

Alfred lay firmly on his back, legs stretch straight so his toes pointed in the air, one arm bent back to support his head and the other resting around Arthur's waist. The other boy held onto Al as if he would disappear, while resting his head on the taller blonde's shoulder. Both never dropped their eyes from the stars up above, alone in their minds even though they were wrapped together tightly. If they looked, the meaning behind their prayers would become too real and neither could let it happen, not until it could no longer be denied.

'Ten years from now, it won't matter. Ten years from now we'll be living our lives without each other and it won't even hurt. Today won't mean anything. Not in ten years.' Arthur told himself, letting his hand tighten its grip on Alfred's antique bomber jacket. 'Why is he wearing it in the middle of summer,' thought Arthur with a smile that quickly faded. He was going to miss the way the leather felt against his fingers, the way his head fit so well on the padded shoulders, but mostly the smell. It was all Al: hamburgers, grass and something that reminded Arthur of late night rain. He doubted anything would ever smell so good or that he would ever forget it either.

'This was what we planned. It's the only way this can end. Twenty years from now, he won't even remember half of who I am. Twenty years from now we'll have made lives all our own and this will just be an old flame. It won't even hurt.' Alfred told the stars, convincing himself as much as them. He felt Arthur's hand pull tighter on his jacket. It wasn't really cold out, but he brought it with him in case Arthur hadn't brought his own and the night got cooler than expected. Maybe he was being sentimental, but he was going to miss having to think about Arthur. The smaller boy could definitely care for himself, but Alfred loved being able to save him (even if it was only from a bitter wind). He would miss feeling needed, he would miss planning everything he did for someone else, but mostly he would miss the way Arthur's head fit on his shoulder.

'Tonight is goodbye. I knew that, I've known that. We planned it, I planned it. Thirty years from now, I'll be glad for it. Thirty years from now, we'll have everything we worked for, everything we ever wanted, everything… everything, but each other.' Arthur had known this would hurt; he'd planned for it to hurt, planned for this to all end. As hopeless a romantic as he was, Arthur knew enough about life to realize the books weren't true. Al was shipping off in the morning and who knew when or if he would come back. Even if he did come back soon, there was no way he would come back to Arthur, not after seeing the Galaxy. There was no way Arthur could compare and holding off a goodbye until Alfred came back deciding Arthur wasn't all he'd thought when Earth was all he knew. 'It would be more painful, it would.' Arthur couldn't help but feel like he was lying.

'It will be easier once I get out there.' Alfred continued telling the stars. Once he got to meet some of them, this night would seem so small. 'Forty years from now I'll have seen the whole Galaxy; I might not even be on earth. Arthur will just be a nice memory.' Thinking that didn't make it true, though. Alfred's arm tightened around Arthur's waist as something panged in his heart. 'Forty years from now, I'll have seen everything this sky has to offer and none of it will be as beautiful as you.' For the first time that night Al let his eyes drift from the stars and onto the shaggy blonde hair resting on his shoulder. Everything came rushing at him, hitting him in the chest like a freight train. It didn't matter how many years past, how much his eyes saw, this night would never be small.

'Take care of him.' Arthur begged to stars. 'Don't give him a chance to miss me.' He could feel himself losing the will to keep staring at the night sky, the thing that was taking Al from him. He felt the arm around his waist tighten and it was all he could do not to look up at Alfred's face. He couldn't look, this was last night he could see his face and in all honesty he was afraid of what would forever be the last look they shared. Still, the sky wasn't offering answers and his eyes couldn't hold. Slowly, and not without pause, he let his head shift slightly, let his eyes blink once before turning up to meet blue, dark with emotion. And suddenly, it all hit him like a bomb exploding in his chest. Even sixty years from now, this would still hurt, it would always hurt.

They stayed like that, locked by some outside force, staring into each other's eyes. Neither wanted to break the silence as if it was some precious piece of glass they had to hold together. The bustle of a modern city pulsed off in the distance, the breeze continued to brush across them and the moon kept circling the earth, but to them time had stopped. If they moved, even breathed time would start again and they would be that much closer to goodbye. If they could have held their breath forever, maybe the night would have stayed just as long, but Al never could keep his mouth shut. Then again, Arthur wasn't much better.

"I don't want to say goodbye." The words rushed, quick and almost quiet, past both boys' lips. They paused, before Alfred pulled Arthur on top of him, flesh against his chest. "I can't say goodbye. I know three years is a long time. I know keeping in touch is hard, but I-I love you and I want there to be something tying me back here." Arthur let the words hit him, before gripping at the larger blonde's sides and pulling himself closer.

"I know you think I'll change out there, that I'll find something worth staying out there for. I know you think you won't compare to the things I might see." Arthur couldn't help but go wide eyed at how well Alfred knew him. With a little effort he lifted his head to look Al in the eyes. They seemed so deep, so full of things Arthur knew he understood, but didn't want to believe, that he nearly let himself get lost in those blue orbs. "But, it's them that won't compare to you. I don't care if it's hard. I don't care if anyone sees it as me being weak, if you're what keeps me stuck to earth. Well, I wouldn't mind."

"Al-" Before Arthur could answer, let alone process, Alfred was rambling again.

"I love you. I really do. I don't know when it happened," Alfred breathed out quick, looking back up at the sky. "But you became more important than any of it. I can't deny I want to go out there, but it doesn't seem like it would be worth it I can't come back and tell you all about it." Alfred kept looking at the stars his arms tight around Arthur's back, who had moved his arms to rest under his chin, just bellow Alfred's.

"Al-" Again he was cut off, by more quick and breathy words.

"I know it's too much to ask. I know you're the one who said we should just say goodbye before I leave, but I can't do it. I won't do it." His eyes were back down, filled with worry this time. "You said you don't want to say goodbye, so let's not. I know I can't ask you to wait for me, not for three years. I know it's not fair, that I'm being selfish, but I- I just-" This time it was Arthur to cut off the other.

"Alfred!" Screwing his eyes shut to press back the tears that had been threatening to fall the entire time Alfred had been going on, Arthur willed his voice to stay steady. "Of- of course I'll wait for you. I'll wait for ten years, twenty years, however long I have to. I know it's bloody ridiculous, but I love you, you stupid git and no amount of you parading through the solar system is going to change that." His eyes stayed shut as he waited for Alfred to respond.

"God, I love you so much." Alfred nearly yelled, sitting up to better hug Arthur against his chest. They didn't stay like that for long, before Alfred pulled back just enough to cup Arthurs's check and press his own lips to the other boy's. It was simple, chaste and quick, but held more emotion more passion than maybe even their first.

"It's only three years you know. I'll be back and bugging you before you know it." Alfred laughed out after pulling away. Arthur couldn't help but laugh at that, before pulling Alfred back into a less innocent kiss.

They would no doubt be the longest three years of his life, but he could do it, they both could. It might be hard to believe that a few months down the line when Alfred was light years away and Arthur was sitting in an office back on earth, but they would make it. What they had wasn't worth losing for some far off world, for the safety of not taking a risk. 'It's not a risk, though.' Arthur thought as Alfred's arms tightened around him. 'It was never a risk.' Smiling against the shorter blonde's lips, Alfred couldn't help but think. 'Ten years from now, we'll be living our life together. Twenty years from now he'll be half of who I am. Thirty years from now we'll have everything we ever wanted. Forty years from now… today will be anything, but small.'

A/N: Thanks for reading, feedback is loved as always. Hopefully I will see you all soon


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